NeoGeo Mini, Console Review

by Louie Dimovski ·
Published September 28, 2018
· Updated September 28, 2018

SNK jump on the retro-revival bandwagon and shout out ‘me too’ with the launch of their mini version of the NeoGeo console. Is SNK’s offerring on par with the Nintendo equivalents or is it destined to spend its life in the back of your cupboard?

The NeoGeo multi video arcade system (MVS) and its home game console variant, the Advanced Entertainment System (AES) were released by SNK back in 1990. The AES was one of the most expensive home video game systems released but it still garnered considerable demand in Japan due to the systems ability to deliver a true arcade experience to home users. However, the NeoGeo AES remained mainly out of reach in Western countries, with only a lucky few being able to afford to import a unit for personal use.

Fortunately, the emulation scene over the past couple of decades has evolved to the stage where playing NeoGeo games is far less of a hassle these days or, for those that prefer to stick to the legal route, you have the ability to purchase NeoGeo games via the Nintendo Switch eShop, though the games are priced a little high.

SNK now provides a more affordable legal means to play NeoGeo games via its NeoGeo Mini system.

The Console Unit

The first point of differentiation of the NeoGeo Mini is the arcade style cabinet format used to house the emulator with a working 3.5 inch LCD screen.

Looking specifically at the Japanese variant of the NeoGeo Mini, the first impressions are that it looks like a children’s toy. When I pick up and hold the unit in my hand, it feels lightweight and ‘plasticy’ but somewhat solid at the same time. Applying the game pad overlay and marquee stickers, improves the overall aesthetics considerably and I can’t help to admire that this little unit looks kind of ‘cool’.

The game pad section of the console adopts the stick and four button layout that is typical of the original NeoGeo system. The Mini’s stick is analogue, and the overall feel of the stick is fine and somewhat responsive but, given its size, I do wonder how those with large hands will fare. The buttons do feel somewhat hollow and give you a feel that is similar to buttons on a cheap generic USB game pad. Despite my reservation, long playing sessions were not an issue and never did I feel my hands get cramped up.

In terms of connectivity, you will find two game pad ports, a mini HDMI port, and audio jack and a USB-C port that is used to power the unit. The console ships with a USB-C cable but you will have to supply your own power adapter capable of 5 volts / 1 amp, such as those you use to charge your smartphone device. But the glaring omission for the NeoGeo Mini is not that it does not provide a power adapter but rather that the unit does not include a built in rechargeable battery that would have made the unit a viable portable system and distinguished itself from all other ‘Mini’ systems.

Note that SNK does not include a mini-HDMI to standard HDMI cable with the NeoGeo Mini unit. SNK offers a branded cable for you to buy, alternatively, you can save yourself some money and purchase a generic cable.

The Controller Pad

The NeoGeo Mini Pad looks quite attractive and is consistent with the styling used on the original NeoGeo controller. However, the control stick is also analogue, not micro-switched, and it feels like it has a long travel path which makes precision game movement somewhat challenging.

The controller buttons feel better on the Pad than the ones on the console itself. The don’t feel hollow but it is somewhat perplexing as to why the button orientation on the Mini Pad has been changed from the usual layout which has buttons A and B on the lower row.

The Games

The NeoGeo Mini features 40 titles with a strong emphasis on arcade fighting games, so if you are not a fan of this game genre then this is not the system for you.

The Japanese variant shares 26 titles with the International version of the Mini due to be released shortly. Looking at the difference in the game library between the two systems, I personally prefer the International library as it contains a wider variation of game titles and far less King of Fighter editions. Here is a list showing the difference in titles between the two variants:

The overall performance of playing the game titles was quite solid with minimal slowdown being experienced like in Metal Slug 2 and 3 when something big has just been destroyed for example but I feel that this type of slow down appears to be a general NeoGeo trait as I experience this slow down in other emulated systems and on the original console as well.

Pressing the SELECT and START buttons on the NeoGeo will bring up a menu allowing you to save your game state. Up to 4 slots are provided for each game.

The Display Output

The display on the 3.5 inch inbuilt LCD screen is quite good, providing a 4:3 ratio and an image that is crisp, vivid and with a good contrast.

When you use an external output display, you are giving a SCREEN settings option that gives you the choice of 16:9 or 4:3 ratio, whether to stretch the image to fill the screen and whether to enable ‘Image Quality Optimization’ (IQO) feature which is meant to soften out the pixels to try and give a smoother image.

For me, the best results were with 4:3 ratio, no stretch and IQO enabled but if you are expecting a high fidelity then you will be disappointed. On a 1080p 42inch LCD TV, the image output was not too different to what you would get out of a basic emulation setup. The display is not terrible, its just feels somewhat ‘muddy’. For those, who spend a lot of time and money from trying to obtain the most optimal video output from your various retro systems then this will no doubt be a deal-breaker for you.

Connecting to a 720p 10 inch screen resulted in an improved output. The image seemed to that little bit sharper.

The above image is of the 720p 10 inch display. Refer to video review at the end of this article if you wish to see the video output on the inbuilt screen and the larger 42 inch TV.

Verdict

The arcade style cabinet used to deliver the NeoGeo Mini’s emulation system helps differentiate itself in what looks to become a crowded market. The Japanese variant looks cute and cool at the same time and just screams ‘buy me’ to any avid retro collector and in general the large game library on offer all play well with minimal lag. But we can’t help but feel disappointed in the missed opportunities, mainly the lack of an internal rechargeable battery and the restricted fidelity of the image display while playing a game.

It feels that SNK has cut some corners in order to maximise profits. The NeoGeo Mini is the most expensive out ($109 USD) of the current Mini population but does not feel like a premium product. Outside of collectors, it is hard to fathom who the NeoGeo Mini is aimed at as it fails to fully recreate the AES experience and it will struggle to pick up casual gamers due to its high price point.

The NeoGeo Mini can be best described as a ‘good average’ product. The only question to ask yourself is how much are you willing to pay for a compromised offering?

Disclosure: The NeoGeo unit reviewed was purchased by the author of this article.

Founder of RetroGamerNation youtube channel and regular contributor to Vintage Is The New Old and Retro Video Gamer blog sites. Passionate about the modern gaming scene for vintage personal computers and game consoles. Specialising in the Commodore 64 scene. If you would like your game or hardware reviewed, please get in touch with me via email.
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